


Those wild-eyed boys that had been away

by lanyon



Series: Bad Boy Boogie [9]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Intercrural Sex, M/M, Mentions of homophobia, Winter Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 19:52:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5639872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanyon/pseuds/lanyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Olympics come, and they go, and Kent has a moment on the ice at Sochi. (Ask Jeff, he knows.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Those wild-eyed boys that had been away

**Author's Note:**

> +Title from Thin Lizzy.  
> +Thanks to Idril for all the help.  
> +Enormous thanks to everyone who has read, and commented, and given kudos to this series. I'm way behind on replying to comments but I will get there! Each comment means so much to me so thank you all, so very, very much.

They’re crowded around Einarsson, who’s holding a tablet in his hands. Practice starts in five minutes but Giddings is giving them special dispensation to watch the announcement of the Canadian Olympic roster. 

They’re starting with the forwards, in alphabetical order. Jamie Benn, Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Gabriel Charbonneau—

There’s a roar and everyone spins around to look at Gabriel, who’s sitting in front of his locker, half-changed for practice. He looks shocked, his eyes perfectly round as he stares at Einarsson. 

Kent isn’t surprised; Charbo’s stats this season have been impressive and he’s been playing second line for the past couple of months. His penalty minutes are down and Kent reckons he’s working harder than ever. He’s told him often enough that he’s a credit to the team and Gabriel always smiles at that, though it always seems to take a heartbeat for his lips to curl up.

Kent untangles himself from the crowd around Einarsson and makes his way over to Charbo; he has to wait for Barty to release him before he can tug him in close. Charbo’s curls get into Kent’s mouth as he leans in. “ _So_ fucking proud of you, fucking _baller_.”

Charbo lights up, in a way that he hasn’t this season, despite Kent's best efforts, and he’s practically forehead to forehead with Kent. “You won’t be saying that when we beat your ass, Cap.” 

Kent laughs and he stays there, pressed against Charbo’s side, and they listen to the rest of the press conference and Bash and Beastly are going to Sochi too, to the surprise of no one, and it’ll be awesome for them to be reunited on the ice again. 

Giddings comes in and claps his hands to get their attention. “Congratulations to Gabriel and Charles. PR will want to see you guys after but everyone, on the ice in five.”

Everybody scrambles to get their gear on and Kent squeezes Charbo’s shoulders one last time. 

♠

Aces High.  
The Las Vegas Aces will have impressive representation at the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month. 

Captain Kent Parson, who’ll also be wearing the C for Team USA, will be joined by Jeff Forrester, his linemate, and Fiachra Murphy-Worthington, who’s a contender for the Calder this year. Gabriel Charbonneau, who’s having a break-out season, and Charles Beasley, a perennial Norris contender, will be reunited with former Ace, Sebastian Volkov, on Team Canada. Jakub Bartos will be representing Slovakia, while Sven Bergsen has impressed in his rookie year and will be joining Niklas Olafsson on the Swedish team. Finnish goaltender, Kristian Kivi, and Russian forward, Vladimir Berezhnoy will also be representing their countries. 

“Honestly, I think we’re all looking forward to getting on the ice in Sochi,” says Parson. “We’ll all give it our best and hopefully at least some of us can come back to Vegas with a medal.”

When asked about how his openly gay teammate, Charbonneau, might expect to fare in Russia, Parson was uncharacteristically firm. “Gabriel’s a fantastic player, who has earned his spot on one of the best teams in the world. I think he’s going to fare pretty damn well.”

♠

Gabriel feels like this can’t all be real. He’s kitted out in Team Canada gear and he’s rooming with Bash and even though it’s the Winter Olympics, it’s pretty mild in Sochi. The set up is really impressive and the atmosphere in the Olympic Village is like a carnival. 

“Lots of condoms,” says Barty, over an Aces team breakfast table. 

“Lots of heterosexual sex,” says Bergy.

Gabriel snorts and when he looks up, Kent is looking at him. He’s not quite sure what to make of Kent’s expression so he just forks some more eggs into his mouth, in the interest of avoiding having to speak. 

“Is Ray coming over?” asks Bash. 

Gabriel swallows. So much for that. “Yeah, he’ll be over with Mom and Aurelie, in time for the first game.” 

“No sex, though,” says Beastly. 

“I don’t know,” says Bash, with a thoughtful air. “I think if I was told I couldn’t have sex because of some fucking stupid law, I’d be feeling pretty frisky right now.”

Jeff shakes his head. “Fuck, man. I don’t know what to say. _Frisky_ , really? That’s your word of choice?” 

Sometimes, Gabriel loves his team, more than he can articulate. Sometimes, he feels bad for Kent, still in the closet, and even though they haven’t talked about Jack Zimmermann in over a year, Gabriel figures that it must be tough, being hung up on someone who lives on the other side of the continent.

♠

Kent doesn’t enjoy the Olympics. It’s not about the taking part; it’s about winning and Team USA didn’t deliver. He’s the captain and he has to take his share of the blame, even though it can’t entirely be his fault when some of his players just fail to show up. Oshie does superbly, at least, and he can’t blame Quickie, even though it’s fucking weird to support the Kings goalie. 

During the lineup, Bash and Beastly both hug him and Charbo touches his forehead to Kent’s and Kent closes his eyes and shakes his head. Charbo doesn’t apologise or tell Kent he played a good game because, frankly, Kent wasn’t good enough. 

“Winning’s better with you,” he says, instead.

Afterwards, someone asks what he and Charbo said to each other, and Kent says, “We wished each other well for our next games.” He runs his hand through his hair. “It’s good to know that between us, we’ll be bringing some medals back to Vegas.”

♠

He’s done it. Well. Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz did it, but Gabriel was there. Bash and Beastly crash into him and he’s laughing in the crush. At the lineup, he hugs Bergy and Olafsson who look really subdued but it’s not the same gut-wrenching sorrow that he saw on Kent’s face during the previous game. 

They get their medals and stand on a big podium and sing _O Canada_ with more gusto than ever. 

Everything’s a bit of a blur. He hugs his mom and Aurelie, who are both in tears and then he turns to Ray, who’s beaming at him, and envelopes him in his arms. It’s nice. All three of them are dressed, head to toe, in Canadian supporters gear. 

“Oh my god,” says Gabriel. “You have the _mittens_.”

Ray laughs and it’s deep and rumbling. “Couldn’t have anyone confused about my loyalties.” 

“We’ve got to get ready for the closing ceremony but I’ll see you after, yeah?” Gabriel knows he sounds a bit breathless.

“Count on it.” 

♠

Most of the NHL players still in Sochi for the closing ceremony get a chartered flight back to the States. They travel with their families and, to be fair to Team Canada, they’re not awful. Maybe it’s because they’re Canadian. Kent’s not sure. 

He can see Charbo about ten rows ahead, next to his boyfriend who’s got to be six foot five at least, and who’s built like a tank. 

“Have you met Ray?” asks Jeff, lowering himself into the seat next to Kent. Kent’s parents and the girls are in the middle row. His dad is watching something on his iPad and his mom and the girls are already dozing.

“Nope,” says Kent, hoping that he sounds thoroughly uninterested.

“Aw, he’s a great guy. He’s a doctor, did you know? Orthopaedic surgeon.” 

Kent nods, not looking away from the screen on the bag of the seat in front of him. “Yeah, sounds like a really great guy.”

“Good for Charbo, right?” There's something earnest in Jeff’s tone and it's enough to make Kent turn to look at him and he's not sure what he's seeing in Jeff's eyes but it's part sympathy and Kent feels cold on the inside, with the utter certainty that Jeff knows.

“Good for Charbo,” he echoes. 

Jeff nods and then picks up the remote for his screen. “Oh, awesome. They've got American Hustle. Charlene loves that shit.”

Kent figures that’s the end of the conversation and it is. Jeff settles down to watch _American Hustle_ and Kent starts to watch an episode of _Game of Thrones_ before he gets bored. He has to climb out over Jeff because the fucker has fallen asleep. Jeff’s attention span is weird. Maybe that’s why ice hockey suits him; minute-long bursts of exquisite skill are about the most he can be reasonably be expected to produce on a near-nightly basis. 

Kent shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and makes his way forward in the plane, towards the galley where he makes nice with one of the air stewardesses, Anya, and downs a bottle of orange juice. 

He goes into the restroom and pees and washes his hands, staring at himself in the mirror for a long moment. He looks tired. There are bags under his eyes but it seems a small price to pay for letting down his country. He splashes water on his face and considers asking Anya for coffee but then he’d probably end up having to climb out over Jeff again. 

As he walks back down the aisle, he sees Charbo. He’s sitting in an aisle seat, head on his boyfriend’s shoulder and his hair is falling over his face. He looks peaceful, as well he might, with nothing more than the weight of a gold medal around his shoulders. Kent’s heart gives a painful tug. Charbo’s boyfriend is watching something that casts a blue glow on his face. His gaze flickers towards Kent and the corner of his mouth quirks up in a smile and Kent nods at him as he passes by.

When he gets back to his seat, Jeff, the fucker, is lying across it so Kent has to find another space. His dad winks at him as he passses and Kent squeezes his shoulder. 

“Proud of you, son. You know that, right?” says his dad, just about audible over the hum of the airplane. 

“Thanks, Dad.” Kent tries to smile but he’s not sure how successful he is. He just wants to find somewhere to try to sleep for a while, and forget what it feels like to fail (and forget what it feels like to be forehead to forehead in the middle of an ice rink and be comforted).

♠

The Aces who’ve returned from Sochi get a couple of extra days off. Gabriel appreciates it; the hockey was exhausting but the travel even more so. It’s a long fucking way from the Black Sea to Nevada. 

On his third morning home, Gabriel wakes up incredibly early. He’s warm and comfortable. Ray is still asleep, his knees tucked behind Gabriel’s and Gabriel sighs and nestles back against him. 

After a few minutes, Ray’s breathing changes. Gabriel wriggles a little and there’s a huff of laughter against his neck. 

“Are you awake, babe?”

“No,” says Gabriel, hiding his smile against the pillow as Ray runs his hand down Gabriel’s side to his thigh, pushing it up towards Gabriel’s stomach. Gabriel sighs, and then gasps as Ray’s cock presses against the top of his cleft, and then teasingly down, and up, and down. Ray’s hands are large; he says it’s a prerequisite for being an orthopaedic surgeon. Gabriel’s not complaining as one is wrapped around his cock, stroking in time with the rocking of Ray’s hips. Ray reaches across Gabriel to the nightstand, to grab lube, and he’s generous and messy as he slathers it between Gabriel’s legs before returning his slick hand to Gabriel’s cock. Gabriel moves his leg down, trapping Ray between his thighs and Ray lets out a bark of laughter. Gabriel twists his upper body enough so that he can rest one hand on the side of Ray’s neck and chase his mouth for open-mouthed, near-miss kisses, keeping his thighs closed. 

Gabriel comes first, spurting helplessly over Ray’s hand and it’s all he can do to hang on as Ray follows with a short cry. Gabriel struggles to catch his breath and his attempts are hampered by Ray’s weight against his back. He doesn’t greatly care, even as Ray sucks a bruising, biting kiss against the side of his neck, just below his jaw.

“Fuck, can’t believe I have to go catch a plane back to Montreal this afternoon,” says Ray. “I like it here.” 

“Mmm,” says Gabriel, humming slightly. “Vegas is pretty awesome.”

Ray pinches Gabriel’s hip lightly. “Yeah, that’s what I mean.” He rolls away and Gabriel can breathe freely again. “When are you playing in Montreal?”

“Mm, late next month. Right after my birthday.”

“I’ll try to make sure I’m not on duty.” 

When they say goodbye, later, before Gabriel goes to the first optional skate that the Olympians are allowed to attend, it’s with a friendly kiss at Gabriel’s front door. Ray takes a cab to the airport and Gabriel drives to the rink. 

When he walks into the changing room, there’s a roar and he ducks his head. Kent throws his arm around his shoulders. “How does it feel to be a gold medal winner?” he asks, tugging Gabriel in close. 

“I meant what I said,” says Gabriel. “In Sochi.” It’s important for Kent to know that. 

“I know you did, kid,” says Kent, too-brightly. 

“When did your boyfriend leave?” asks Jeff, leaning in and prodding at a spot under Gabriel’s jaw and Gabriel feels his face heat up. His first instinct is to hide his face against Kent and that’s jarring enough that he slips out from under Kent’s arm. 

“Just now,” he says. “Flight’s in a few hours.” He goes over to his locker to start changing and when he looks up, Kent is standing nearby.

“He’s - he seems like a great guy,” Kent says, which does nothing to make Gabriel’s damned blush subside. Gabriel didn’t even know that Kent had spoken to Ray. 

He nods, jerkily. “Yeah. He really is.” He pulls on his practice jersey and focuses on putting on lacing his skates. He doesn’t want to tell Kent that it’s good with Ray, or that it’s easy and fun. He knows that Ray has plans to travel overseas to work, just as Ray knows that Gabriel’s life, and love, is in Las Vegas, but it’s too much to admit to anyone else. If Gabriel and Ray can make it work, they will. 

He checks his phone before he tucks it into his duffel. There’s a text from Ray, with a selfie of him by his boarding gate, holding a coffee and smiling. 

Charbo smiles at his phone and then he stands up and grabs his stick. As he walks down the corridor to the ice, he can already hear some of the guys shouting and laughing. 

“Okay, fellas,” says Giddings, clapping his hands. “Congratulations to the medal winners. Now, onto more important things. We play the Canucks in four nights and we are going to beat them.”

♠

 **Las Vegas Aces** @lasvegasaces • 12m  
These boys are back in Vegas, showing off some fancy new medals. instagram.com/p/LVA111/ #charbo #beastly #winners

**Author's Note:**

> (+Also, I know many orthopaedic surgeons with small hands so no insult intended to the orthopods out there...)


End file.
